April 16, 2013
TUCSON, Ariz. - The ninth-ranked Arizona State University baseball team lost the first installment of the five-game Territorial Cup series, 10-9, Tuesday night at Hi-Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz.
The Sun Devils (22-11-1) fell behind by one run after opening frame, but responded with eight runs over the next five innings, including two in the second and four in the third, to take an 8-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
ASU's bullpen then gave up eight runs over the final three frames, including three in both the sixth and seventh innings and two in the eighth, to forfeit their advantage.
Starting right-hander Zak Miller struck out two and conceded just two runs on three hits and a pair of walks in five innings. Right-handed reliever Darin Gillies (0-2) took the loss after allowing the final run on a double to left field in the eighth.
Right fielder Trever Allen and designated hitter Nate Causey each tallied two RBI, third baseman Michael Benjamin went 2-for-5 with three runs scored and first baseman Dalton DiNatale reached base five times on four walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Four hits, a pair of errors and a bases loaded walk highlighted ASU's four-run third inning, which was capped off by a two-out RBI single by freshman center fielder Johnny Sewald, as the Devils took a 6-1 advantage.
The baseball teams face each other five times this season, with two non-conference games in Tucson on April 16 and 30, and a three-game Pac-12 series at Packard Stadium May 17-19. The Territorial Cup point is awarded to the team that wins three games.
The opposing team's starting pitcher Nick Cunningham was chased with no outs in the third after allowing six runs, including four earned, on four hits in two innings. Left-hander Augey Bill (4-0) earned the win after pitching two scoreless innings, and right-hander Matthew Troupe (9) recorded the save with a perfect ninth inning.
Up Next:
The Sun Devils return home to host Valparaiso for a three-game nonconference set over the weekend. Friday and Saturday's games are set for a 6:30 p.m. start, while Sunday's game will begin at 12:30 p.m. Both Friday and Sunday's game will be live streamed at pac-12.com/live/thesundevils, and all three games will be broadcast online by Blaze Radio. Fans can also follow the team on Twitter at @ASU_Baseball for live scoring and updates from the weekend, and check thesundevils.com for stats, notes and more.
Game Notes:
The Sun Devils are 19-11 against Arizona in the past six seasons, including 9-6 in Tucson...ASU currently leads the Wildcats in the Territorial Cup standings, 6.5-5.5...DiNatale is the first Sun Devil to walk four times in one game since May 4, 2012, against Utah...ASU is 7-4 in its 11 one-run games this season.
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